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12/23/12

was a stay in your pj's as long as possible and just put some cookies in the oven kinda day. I have a confession to make, for the past 5 weeks Jerry and I have missed Dexter! This is what happened :: one Sunday, Jerry and I sadly missed Dexter
so we said oh next week we'll watch both. Then the next week came and we missed it again, so 5 weeks later it was a Friday night and the finale had just aired, so I told Jerry I can't take it anymore we gotta watch! Last night we had a little Dexter marathon, omg it was soooo worth it. THE END!! I mean never in a million years would I have seen that coming. Only problem was the last episode ended at 2am. Ardo woke up at 6:30am. Needless to say I dragged a big part of the morning. While Ardo was napping, I thought I wanna bake something, then I remembered the cookie mix we had in our fridge and yumminess was born.

Then Ardo got in a box and started screaming. His favorite thing. It was a good day.

12/20/12

This year I couldn't decide on one Christmas card. I knew I wanted a chalkboard inspired card and after scouring the internet, I found two that I loved. Instead of flipping a coin, I just decided to go with both. I didn't know who would get which card and I liked that. I decided quickly I would just go with two cards, but deciding on which picture was a challenge. I probably sent about 15 emails between both shops before finally making a decision. Thank you ladies for being patient! I'm so happy with the outcome. Sidenote:: On this blog and around our home and some family, our little guy is known as Ardo. But on Christmas cards, birthday invitations and thank you's I just go with Jerry III. It's tricky but we make it work.

12/18/12

We had a few (dozen) pictures taken of us for our Christmas cards. I was so so happy with our pictures I wanted to share a few we weren't able to use. Terri was our photographer. Terri is the sister of Logan and Oliver's mom :: are you still with me? She took our pictures last year, but since Ardo was only 8 months he wasn't as interactive as he was this year...he was a HAM this year, and really enjoyed his time outdoors and in front of the camera. Funny thing is I warned Terri right before telling her lately Ardo hasn't been happy with the camera. I was going to be content as long as he looked, so when he started smiling, I was overjoyed! Most of his pictures came out with his mouth open. He was screamed this happy excited scream for the first part of the shoot, then was distracted by the grass the rest of the time. I can't share all of the photos, because I sent out all of our cards yesterday, Yeah I was really on top of it this year...not! But here are a few...

If you are in the Los Angeles area and would like to book a shoot with Terri, you can contact her here!

12/12/12

I think I understand now when people say they love the toddler phase. Of course there are things that are hard, but watching your baby develop into a toddler is one of the funnest things. Ardo is learning new things every single day and everyday he takes an interest in something else. Right now these little rides (below) are his favorite. His face lights up when he sees these. He can get a little crooked sometimes when riding so we have back up just in case (notice my sister waiting on the sidelines). But for the most part we let him do it himself!

oh and ps a little update on his sleeping, I happy to report Jerry and I got him back on schedule and he's going to bed around 8:30-9:00, with very little fuss. Only thing is, hes still waking up in the middle of the night. He cries we let him come in our bed and he goes back to sleep. Now if we could only break him from waking up in the middle of the night, sleep life would be perfect!

12/10/12

(sorry the picture isn't super clear, but it was the best out of the bunch)

This happened. I went to a No Doubt concert. Backstory:: I've loved No Doubt since I was a young teen. I'm going to say 13 but don't quote me. 13 feels like the right age tho. All throughout high school a couple of friends and I saw them in concert 5 times. YES 5. For being in high school and having no job, that's a lot. The 5th time was senior year and it would be my last time for 10 years. When their newest album came out in September (on the 25th, my birthday) I thought I have to see them when they tour. Thanks to my good friend Amy, and her lightening fast clicks, we got tickets. The concert was at the Gibson Amphitheater at Universal. If you've never been to the Gibson, let me explain. The Gibson is a very small venue compared to the others here in Los Angeles. The times before when I had seen no doubt it was almost always at the Hollywood Bowl, which hold in the upwards of 18,000. The Gibson holds about 6,000. You get the idea. I had been there one other time when I saw Kathy Griffins stand up act, but I'd never been there for a concert. I was blown away. So intimate, so amazing. The energy in the room was filled with excitement. Gwen Stefani even read some of the signs people held up. That's how close everything was. She also called one girl on stage who got pictures and hugs from everyone...lucky! This concert was different, listening to there music live reminded me how grown up I am. What a difference these 10 years have made, how far I've come as a girl, a woman, a mother, a wife (soon to be). It may sound like a little much but I was just overcome by my feelings. Another factor to my feelings is I kept thinking this will probably be the last time I see them in concert, if not EVER, in a really, really, really long time. Jerry and I are having our wedding next year (if all goes well), we want to have another baby, I just have this feeling. But man, if that's it, what a way to go!

12/7/12

We are approaching Ardo's second Christmas and his second time decorating gingerbread men. My Aunt started this little decorating tradition when she became a grandma to Logan 5 years ago. Since then we have added two new little helpers to the bunch, Oliver and Ardo. Last year Ardo was only 8 months, so he didn't really "decorate" he kinda just sat there and reached for everything. Wait...he did that again this year except this year he was successful at snatching fondant and sprinkles. I can't lie the adults had just as much fun decorating. Traditions for the little guys are so sweet. I'm trying to get a few ideas together for this years Christmas morning. So far I'm thinking hot cocoa and snowman pancakes.

12/5/12

I've been fighting a cold the past few days, I put my boxing gloves on and tried to get this cold out of my system but the dang thing won't leave. In all my years on this earth, I have never in my life been sick as many times as I have since becoming a mom. Isn't being sick as a mom the worse??? Ardo wants to give me a million besitos and I think, with every kiss, I could get you sick, and then it's really over. I decided to stay home from work today, except staying home with Ardo is less rest and more work? So my mom (bless her) picked up Ardo for a few hours so I could just rest. Nothing else. I laid in bed for hours watching tv and resting. I wasn't all alone tho cause Goliath joined me. Except I think he thinks this is a marathon napping session. Whenever I don't feel well I always gather up a few cold fighting items. I don't know how or why, but they always make me feel better.

COLD FIGHTING ITEMS

1. Squirt :: Less sugar tasting than sprite and sierra mist and always settles my stomach.2. Crackers :: To eat with soup or eat by themselves. Also works for me as a stomach settler. (For some reason colds and upset stomachs for me go hand and hand) 3. Menudo :: This is an important one. Heavy enough as a meal and if medicine needs to be taken but still a soup. Some people don't like the meat in the menudo. I am NOT one of those people. I don't always have spicy but when I have a cold I enjoy spicy to clear my nose and throat up. Canned is always a must to have on hand but of course I enjoy fresh menudo whenever possible. 4. Tapatio :: For flavor, and to really help clear my stuffy nose.

12/4/12

At 19 months we decided Ardo could have a little juice in his life. Jerry and I had been tinkering with the idea, and I know we're late in the juice department, but Ardo already eats graham crackers, and fishes and nilla wafers (his favorite) like they are going out of style. Once we introduced other things besides fruits and veggies, he never looked back. So when it came to his drinks we've limited him to milk and water. Ardo has always been on the smaller side too so we push that whole milk on him. Sunday morning we were eating a McDonalds breakfast and Ardo came up to us and wanted some juice. I looked at Jerry and he said, "up to you?" so I let him have a sip, since we haven't given him juice the look on his face when he tried orange juice was hilarious (probably should have watered it down). But by the third sip he loved it. Aren't we the best parents ever? Wait all this time to let him try juice, and then the first juice he tries is from McDonalds! Sidenote:: not sure why he came so close to the camera but I was cracking up!